Embodiments herein generally relate to aircrafts and, more particularly, to a trim tab retention system in the main rotors of the aircraft.
Helicopter main rotor blades typically have a trim tab at the trailing edge of the blades. The trim tabs are often made of aluminum sheet and are permanently bonded to the trailing edge of the blade. The trim tabs are permanently bent as part of the track and balance procedures of the aircraft. The trim tab on each of the blades is typically bent differently from the other trim tabs to minimize blade to blade differences in order to minimize vibrations induced by dissimilarity of the blades. Active trim tabs that adjust automatically in flight may not require permanent bending. Adjustable trim tabs may need to be replaced from time to time. Systems and methods to facilitate such replacement will be well received in the art.